


Wedding & Reunion

by jaimistoryteller



Series: Paths Taken [7]
Category: GoldenEye (1995), James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Family, M/M, Miscommunication, Multi, Reunions, Russian Naming Practices, Self Confidence Issues, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Triad Verse, Wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-11
Updated: 2017-10-11
Packaged: 2019-01-15 23:07:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12330675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaimistoryteller/pseuds/jaimistoryteller
Summary: Jon get’s an email from his half-sister asking him & his soulmates to her wedding to her soulmates. Of course he agrees to come





	1. Planning

**Author's Note:**

> Lots of thanks to [dontneedaclassroom](http://dontneedaclassroom.tumblr.com/post/166256688733/art-for-jaimistorytellers-triad-verse-big-bang) for the story art!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even though this is done, comments are still appreciated to see what folks suspect will happen before it does, what they like/dislike, and just to see what folks think. Thank you all for reading.

 

 

Q’s POV

He’s in the middle of walking 003 out of a tight situation when his email chimes at him from Eva. He makes a mental note to check since it’s not the usual day for a message from his sister, then returns to extracting the stubborn Double-O out. Four hours later he twists around a bit, stretching as he listens to the agent get on the safe exit out. He leaves the line open to monitor the agent.

“That was intense,” one of the young techs mutters, staring at the screen.

“It was no worse or better than any other time,” he replies calmly, studying the young man. “Remember Allen, to always stay calm when dealing with one of the agents, no matter what rank they are. It is the only safe way for both you and them.”

Slowly the new tech nods.

He turns his attention to his laptop, checking to see what his sister had to say.

_-Isha,_

_Ilya, Katya and I have set a date for our wedding. We would love it if you and your soulmates can come. It’s been awhile since I got a chance to see Aleksei, and I have yet to met the other one. Please come, I’ll be sending the regular email tomorrow._

_Eva-_

At the bottom was a picture of her with her soulmates and a small scanned in card asking him to come, naming the time and place.

Well then, he better make sure no one causes havoc that day. Actually, he’ll make sure Aither can step in if he can’t be reached for some reason. His lovely best friend-sister is just as good as he is when it comes to  giving orders.

He puts in the paperwork for both him and James to be off for the day before, of, and after.

Mallory comes down to the branch as he is packing up for the night. There are no agents currently in the field that he needs to handle. He prefers to handle all of the Double-O’s and the more dangerous missions himself. He’s sure he has plenty of people who could deal with it, but after years of handling Alec and Dayesi, along with the combined networks makes him a bit more qualified than them and a lot harder to unsettle when things go wrong. Or the agents decide to get sarcastic or snide. He doesn’t fall for their flirting either, reacting rather blandly to all of them to the amazement of some of the senior staff.

“Why have you request those three days off?” the older man asks as they slide into his office.

“My middle sister is getting married, she’d like me to attend as I helped with the introductions to her first soulmate.” He answers as he throws his bag over his shoulder. “With the exception of the wedding itself, I will be reachable in case of an emergency. During that time frame my eldest sister will be watching the computers and coms. I assure you, if there is a situation that needs handling she will deal with it. R will be here and I will have full kits pre-made so all she needs to do is select the items from them.”

He has to bite back a chuckle at Mallory’s expression. It’s somewhere between aggravation, disbelief and frustration.

“Who did you work for before you were here?” Mallory nearly demands.

His expression goes mischievous as he answers, “Myself, of course.”

Gray eyes narrow on him angrily.

“Not kidding, I am one of the owners of the Janus Mercenary Company. I own more than ten business between three countries. I can speak more languages than any three people in this building combined.” He states calmly. “I’m only here because James is not ready to get out of the spy business, otherwise I would have left when the two year contract ran out and it was time for renegotiation.”

Mallory nods slowly. Accepting what he has to say. Not that there is a lot of choice in it.

“There is one thing you never need to worry about with me,” he comments as he turns towards his door, ready to leave.

“What’s that?” the question is almost tired.

“I’m very good at keeping things to myself.” He answers, motioning towards the door.

“That’s very true, you are more tight lipped than many of the people here,” Mallory agrees as they leave the office with him locking the door behind himself and turning on his private security.

“Yes well, they weren’t raised like me.” He hums as they head towards the lifts.

“How was that?” the older man queries dryly.

He stops himself from smirking, “Like a spy.”

“You’re very frustrating,” Mallory informs him dryly.

“You are definitely not the first person to tell me that in our business,” he responds with a chuckle. “Nearly every single person I have worked with long term has said something of that effect.”

Laughing, the gray eyed man stays in the lift as he gets off at the parking garage.

Well then, that went almost better than expected. Next up is telling his soulmates. Alec will agree without any issues, they’ve been meaning to pay a visit to their holdings there for the last few months but things have been a bit crazy. Idiots around the world seem to try and act up on his weekends off. James on the other hand may or may not agree.

He gives a small shake of his head, reaching up to tap his earpiece on and querying, “Will you be available to run the coms if something comes up at the end of next month?”

 _‘Your sister’s wedding? Of course!’_ She agrees without a hesitation in the world, voice merry. _‘Sparks mentioned it to me this afternoon.’_

“Thanks, _”_ he tells her, reminded that his sister is actually friends with Sparks and met her second soulmate while visiting with him.

 _‘Notta problem,’_ she hums, _‘I’m sending her a present.’_

 _“Try not to over do it, she’s a lot like Valentin despite the lack of genetic link and is easily self conscious about gifts._ ” He tells her, slipping into the car he drove in and grinning at his soulmate.

Her laughter fills the line.

“We have dinner plans,” Alec informs him with a bit of a smirk.

 _‘Say hi to your pet for me!’_ Aither declares before the line goes silent.

“What’s the plans?” he queries before kissing Sansha, “Hi,” he murmurs against firm lips.  

Smiling against his, Alec answers, “Hello, James is cooking in his flat.”

He kisses his love again as he processes that. He gets why his second soulmate keeps a flat of his own, but it still makes him edgy sometimes. They’ve improved a great deal in the last two years, but he still has his moments of doubt and distrust.

“Okay,” he agrees as he sits back, quite sure he’s got the self satisfied smile.

They take off without anything else being said. He’d be worried about the fact Alec can easily come and go, except for the fact he knows exactly how his soulmate does it, and keeps an eye on that entrance with his own set of alarms. Aither and Alec won’t trip them up, but someone else would. Designed that way on purpose. They are the two people he trusts without question.

“Eva’s finally getting married,” he comments, switching easily to Russian.

“I wondered if they were planning on formalizing things or not,” Sansha replies, glancing at him.

“Yep,” he hums, closing his eyes as he continues, “She’s requested our presence. All three of us.”

Several minutes pass in comfortable silence. He’s sure that Alec is considering the implications of that.

“That’ll be like letting a wolf among the sheep.” His love eventually remarks, snickering quietly.

“Eva’s friends with Sparks, I highly doubt that counts as a wolf among the sheep.” He retorts with a smirk of his own, “Besides, they get along with you nowadays.”

Snorting, Alec reminds him, “Nowadays yes, back then not so much.”

“Well, Sansha, that’s because you were that scary bratva lord my father occasionally worked for back then.” He reasons, trying not to laugh.

His love laughs at that, nodding once as he agrees, “True.”

The rest of the ride is in peaceful quiet.

When they reach the flat, Alec parks the car in one of James’ spots before they lock up and head upstairs. He was very happy to discover the small stairwell as he is not actually a fan of elevators. He’ll use them when he has to, but really prefers not.

They use their key to get into the flat, and he calls out, “Hello James, that smells good.”

The blue eyed spy emerges from the kitchen area long enough to kiss Alec long and hard, give him a quick hug with a barely there kiss to the temple, and vanish back into the kitchen.

He smiles fondly after the spy. Amused by the fact James still hasn’t figured out actual kissing is fine as long as he’s not expecting it to evolve into something more most the time. Although it might come from the fact he’s kneed James on a few occasions when startled and just barely stopped himself from stabbing his second soulmate on one rather memorable occasion.

He slips his shoes off, sets his bag on the table that James has set aside for him, and settles on sofa. He’d offer to help but it’s not breakfast foods according to his sense of smell. Tea or something a bit stronger? He wonders  as he leans his head against the back of the sofa.

Neither of his spies says anything while he sits there relaxing. He’s aware that they are talking, though he’s not paying attention enough to know what. He could turn on his earpiece and set it to record all sounds around him, but he doesn’t feel like it. Besides, those two deserve to have at least a little privacy.

The scent of freshly brewed tea makes him smile, his eyes slowly opening to discover his Sansha standing beside him with a mug.

“Thank you Sansha,” he murmurs as he accepts the mug and takes a sip. A bit louder he states, “Thank you James.”

They’ve been a proper triad for a while now, but he hasn’t come up with a nickname for his second soulmate yet. He considers translating it to Russian and seeing if he can find one that way, but has decided against that for the time being.

“Dinner’s nearly done,” the blue eyed spy responds.

His eyes narrow as he glances towards the kitchen, trying to process the tone. There was definitely something in it that he needs to understand, the problem is he’s not sure what.  

He reaches up and taps the com on but doesn’t say anything, instead his finger taps out a quick beat before for Aither.

 _‘Got it. Call the cell of there’s a problem.’_ She answers, letting him know she got the message before the line goes quiet.

After a quick thanks, he turns it off and takes it out, standing easily to take it to his bag. He keeps a case for it in there. Along with extras for if there is an issue. Because he’s a smartass, as she calls him occasionally, there are only four people in the world who can actually open it. The morse programming was a bit tricky, but a fun task. He’d use a similar one for the agents in his care except he knows they wouldn’t appreciate it. So the only people that have those sort of earbuds are Alec, Aither and him.

“Vansha?” there is worry and concern in his love’s voice.

“It’s alright,” he answers in Russian, “Just taking myself offline for a bit.”

Meeting Alec’s turquoise eyes, he smiles reassuringly, or tries for reassuring though he’s not sure how well it works since there is still unease in those beautiful eyes.

“Dinners done, sit down and I’ll bring it out,” James declares, blue eyes glancing between them as the stockier spy steps out of his kitchen.

“Okay,” he agrees without losing eye contact with Sansha. _“It’s fine. Promise.”_

 _“You rarely go offline,”_ his first soulmate replies as he crosses the space and sits down.

“It’s a good thing you know Russian,” he comments when James joins them just a little bit later. Making him smile because there is one large tray of food but no individual plates. It’s similar to what he does with Alec some days.

“I’d say it’s a good thing I know at least four of the languages you know,” the blue eyed spy responds as he settles on the sofa on the other side of Alec.

Grinning, he nods, “True, I reminded Mallory today that I know more languages than any three people in the agency.”

“Didn’t you have plans to learn more?” Alec queries, tugging him off the sofa and onto his lap so all three of them can easily reach the platter and feed each other.

“Of course. I also converse with people in each language regularly so not to lose it.” He hums in agreement. “I’m currently working on languages from India. Although I am not sure if I should count them separate or not. I suppose to some they sound vastly different but,” he shrugs, knowing they get what he is saying.

He knows enough languages that the different variations are easier in his head.

A soft kiss to the base of his neck lets him know that Alec understands where it’s going, as does the warm look in James eyes.

“Thank you,” he tells the blue eyed spy, taking a deep breath and smiling warmly, “That smells amazing.”

His second soulmate’s lips curve in a pleased smile.

“My sister would like us to attend her wedding next month,” he comments as he snags one of the forks and eyes the dishes. Most are things he eats, though he doesn’t know what a few of them are. He’s trying for casual when he feels anything but.

James goes still, watching him with speculative blue eyes.

“She’d like all three of us to attend.” He continues selecting a piece of meat, and offering it to Alec as he waits for a response.

Sansha is relaxed as he accepts it, using the arm across his chest to grab a fork and feed a bite of green beans to James.

“You don’t mean Aither,” it’s a question for all the phrasing is a statement.

“That’d be correct. I’m referring to Eva who is two years younger than me.” He answers as he spears a piece of peach to eat.

He’s quite aware that he’s mentioned his family, the ones he’s not closely tied to still in Russia to his blue eyed soulmate. He’s also quite sure that he wasn’t actually listened to when he talked about them. He can easily remember the slightly pained expression in his second soulmate’s eyes. Considering that all of both their families are dead, and he’s only got a small fraction of his, he understands.

“I think you’ll like Apa Mei and Grandmum Pelya.” He remarks, lips twitching in a fond smile. “Or Grandmum Vera if we get a chance to visit her.”

“Do you actually want me there?” James is still motionless, observing his reactions and processing.

“Of course. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have said anything.” He answers promptly, meeting blue eyes directly and understanding where the question is coming from even if not why. James is harder for him to relate to.

Sansha’s hand at his back, rubs gently along his spine and down around the curve to his hip. It’s a silent show of support that immediately draws blue eyes.

“You do not have to if you do not want to,” he tells the blue eyed spy softly, sincerely, slipping into Scottish Gaelic as he continues to speak. “Just as you didn’t have to attend any of the other trips to see my family that you have declined to accompany us on.”

Alec slips him a piece of the chicken almost as soon as he’s done speaking.

A moment later he slips off his Sansha’s lap, heading towards the loo.

A few minutes later he rejoins his soulmates. He hesitates just a little behind them because he can hear them talking. Part of him wants to retreat. Give them their conversation without interfering. Part of him wants to join them. To be accepted by his second soulmate the way he is by his first.

“Vansha?”

He shakes his head, pushing the intrusive thoughts aside for the moment by force of will even though he knows they will be back. They always are. Some days worse than others.

“It’s alright Sansha,” he replies as he walks to them.

The conversation stalls out. James looks rather pensive, not looking directly at him, and barely looking at Alec. Sansha tugs him back on his lap, softly nosing behind his ear and making him smile, he always adores the little affectionate gestures. He’s not sure what to say or to who at this point. So he stays quiet.

The rest of their dinner goes like that. Quiet in a way that makes his nerves edgy. Yet there are still little signs of tenderness. They take their time feeding each other. There are soft touches, almost like caresses, and small smiles.

He’s feeling bloody well confused right now.

“May I join you?” James asks when the foods gone, making him think about it for a moment before slowly nodding.

“Of course,” he agrees, studying the blue eyed spy curiously. What’s changed his second soulmate’s mind?

Something akin to relief flashes across those mercurial depths. “Are there arrangements already made?”

“Some of them,” he hums, leaning in to the firm arms wrapped around him and forcing himself to relax. This place isn’t as secure as he’d prefer, but at least he knows there are no people listening or watching them.

“Dress code?” James queries, relaxing himself, almost as if mimicking him.

“It’s a wedding, I’m sure some would say that’s cause for you to wear one of your suits,” he teases with a smile.

Both of his spies chuckle. James is the only one of their triad who likes suits. Alec prefers jeans, t-shirts, and warm jackets. He prefers slacks and jumpers, the t-shirts hidden beneath often gifts from Aither.

“Will you be in one?” there is a combination of curious and hopeful in the blue eyed spy’s voice as he asks that.

“Well,” he drawls, tapping James lightly on the nose with his forefinger, “Probably.”

“Peeling him out of suits is definitely a worthwhile endeavor.”  Sansha cuts in with a smirk.

That catches the blue eyed spy’s attention.

“It’s only fair, after all I enjoy peeling both of you out of suits,” he hums, closing his eyes but not missing the startled look from the blue eyed spy.

“You don’t like sex,” James mutters.

“I like sex just fine.” He replies, opening his eyes to meet his second soulmate’s. “I just don’t want it most the time. I like touching however.”

He stretches, arching his spine and standing. If they were at home he’d be retreating to the gym about now to work off his frustration. What the hell is he going to do? He's tried explaining it but there seems to be a disconnect between him and James on the matter.

“Vansha,” Alec’s voice cuts through the racing thoughts.

He freezes, glancing up at Sansha who is suddenly in front of him. When did his soulmate moved? He glances about, not spotting James. Where did he go?

“What’s wrong?” Sansha’s voice is gentle.

“I don’t know how to explain it in a way he gets,” he answers in Scottish Gaelic, falling back on his habit of switching to the language he grew up with when stressed.

His mum used to do the same thing. He closes his eyes, trying unsuccessfully to push that train of thought away. He hasn’t thought of them in a while like that. Why now? Possibly because he’s feeling stressed again. Sometimes he really wishes he was more like his mum, direct and to the point, rather than like his da, direct with everyone but those he loved. When did that change? Probably about the time he realized he has a soulmate that wants to keep him. It’s the other one he’s not sure about. The one he confuses just because he’s himself.

“I want to go home,” he mutters, feeling guilty and selfish for it.

“Then we’ll go home,” Alec agrees, carefully wrapping firm arms around him and pulling him in so his head is tucked right up against his Sansha’s shoulder.

He’s not sure how long they stand like that, his arms at his side, his eyes squeezed shut but nose tucked into the crook of his soulmate’s shoulder and neck.

When James almost hesitantly hugs him, he nearly jumps, startled by the contact. His second soulmate rarely touches him despite offers to cuddle. He’s taken it to mean that without sex, no other contact is desired from him. He sort of gets it, Aither tried explaining it once when he asked her about it because he was confused. How some people don’t trust any touch outside of it or it’s too emotionally powerful so they avoid it rather than risk being hurt.

“I’m sorry Jon,” it’s soft, barely there and in Scottish Gaelic. As Alec rarely responds to him in the language he grew up in, that means it must be James. Why?

He doesn’t respond, shifting so he is touching both equally since he knows this will probably end sooner than later.

He’s not surprised that James is the first one to step back.

Taking a steadying breath, his eyes open as he pivots within Alec’s arms so he can look at James. There is something almost worried about his second soulmate, though an outsider probably wouldn’t see it because of how well he hides things when he wants to.

“You’re confusing,” he grumbles as he studies the blue eyed man. “More confusing than some of the trickiest codes. At least those I eventually get, even if it takes a while.”

James just watches him with wary blue eyes that are closer to deep sky blue currently rather than their normal icy blue tone.

That’s different. He’s used to his and Alec’s eyes changing, but it’s the first time he’s noticed that particular change on James.

“Come home with us,” he requests, needing to be back in his space. His nerves are far too edgy right now.

James eyes flicker between them, almost questioningly, before the spy slowly nods.

A little bit later they are back at the house. He makes a beeline for the gym. He needs to figure the code known as James out. He’s leaving his earwig out for the moment. While he is sure Aither would be more than willing to discuss things with him on their private line, he’s going to use physical exercise to see if that will do the trick. He’ll finish the planning while he’s doing so. Might as well make this run as useful as possible.

Nearly two hours later he lands his last flip in the set, to find both his spies watching him from the door.

“Come to bed Jon,” James suggests, blue eyes locked on him.

He tips his head thoughtfully. “After I shower.”

“That works,” Alec replies with a small knowing smile.

It makes him wonder why. No matter, he’ll get his shower and join them. Sansha tends to be in the middle as he likes the left side of the bed and James doesn’t like to touch him.


	2. Arriving in Russia

James' POV  
Almost a month later it is time to get on the jet and fly to Russia. He's still not sure why he agreed to go to the wedding.  He's mostly been avoiding anything related to families. Not because he doesn't want one but because of how much pain his caused him and he doesn't want to cause others that pain by repeating the cycle so he just  avoids them.  
  
Jon's eyes though, the soft honey color that damn near pleads with him to come even as the younger man gave him an out not to, that's what tipped the scale. He doesn't like seeing the hacker hurt. Even if he seems to be hurting Jon all the time.  
  
They get along fine as Q and Bond. Yet there is almost always tension between Jon and James. It's frustrating. If the hacker was a mark he'd be screwed. And not in the fun way he's good at either. How the hell is he going to fix that? It doesn't help that the one thing he's good at, sex, is the one thing he's never had with Jon because the hacker is not interested in him. He's aware that there are times Jon and Alec have sex, but they are rare. Maybe three times in the last two years.

He's drawn out if the unsettling thoughts by Jon coming back to the passenger area of the jet after speaking with the pilots.  
  
"They'll be hanging out at the compound," the hacker comments as he settles in a seat. "Apparently they are pleased with the updates I did."  
  
"You changed the jet like you do the cars?" He finds himself asking curiously.  
  
"Yes, after  I learned how to fly it," Jon replies with a small nod.  
  
"You don't like fly but you can pilot?" Is there anything the younger man can't do?  
  
"My da taught me on single motor planes when I was a teenager, though we never mentioned that to officials. After the plane crash killed them, I avoid planes as much as possible." Jon explains, looking a bit uneasy. "After you and Declan got caught, I had Jacob teach me how to use the jet."  
  
He vaguely remembers the younger man coming for them like a death angel. He doesn't remember who was flying however.

“Who’s flying?” Alec queries with one arched brow and a glance towards the cockpit.

“Falco and one of the newbies. Tom or Hank, he’s a twin, both of which work for Aither.” The hacker answers as he closes his eyes for a moment as the jet takes off. “They’re being trained on the upgraded system, so when I do hers they’ll know how to use it.”

The flight is thankfully smooth with no weather issues and an easy landing.

They are met at the airport by Sparks, much to his surprise. He wasn’t expecting to see the blonde giant.

“I’m supposed to text Eva when you get in whether it’s all three of you or not.” The tall man remarks with an almost playful smile directed at Jon.

Laughing, the hacker replies, “You could have sent the brothers to get us or even some minions.”

It’s almost playful the way the big man retorts, “And miss my chance to say hello to my second favorite headache? Never.”

A glances at Alec, surprised to see that his soul isn’t bothered by the almost flirty way the giant man greets their soulmate.

“To the house please,” Jon requests as they head towards the car, shoving his bag in the trunk and reminding him that besides the hacker's computer, they didn’t bring luggage due to having a home here. One that isn’t his.

“Got it.” Sparks hums in agreement, not opening the doors for them but popping the boot for him.

“How’s the ladies?” the younger man asks as he slides into the front seat.

“Good,” the giant answers as he shuts the door, “I suspect that Sitara’s pregnant but she hasn’t said anything yet.”

Jon nods slowly, “I know you were holding off ‘cause of all the kids in your custody but things do happen.”

“There’s no reason to be jealous,” his soul murmurs in his ear. “Those two have only ever been friends.”

He’d be embarrassed if Jon caught him being jealous but not so much with Alec.

They seem to arrive at the house quicker than he can remember the last time they visited.

“Driving yourselves or catching a cab to dinner tonight?” The giant asks with a quirk of one very pale blonde brow.

“Driving, so we can leave when needed without needing to call for a ride. I get to see that aunt I can’t really stand tonight.” Jon replies, voice changing to something almost cold for the younger man as he continues, “Of course she normally avoids me after our last face to face meeting.”

“Have fun, remember bloods not easy to get out of clothing in case she decides to say something stupid again,” Sparks tells the hacker as the door opens and his soulmate slips from the car.

Laughing merrily, Jon retorts, “Valentin’s the one who’d have to deal with the blood. I’ve got really good aim.”

The tall man just shakes his head, doing something somewhere between a salute and wave to them after they close the doors and leave.

“Last time he saw his eldest aunt, which was also the first time he met her, she made a comment about his mum that was less than polite. Jon planted his throwing knife in wall next to her ear. Trimmed her hair with it actually.” Alec explains when he shoots his soul a questioning look. “Since then she stays as far away from him as possible.”

He nods, watching the way their soulmate heads directly to the door to unlock and disarm the security. Carefully holding the laptop carrier bag across his chest.

“Did you know I was actually jealous of Aither the first time I met her in person?” Alec asks as they turn to follow their soulmate in.

That startles him. “I didn’t. Why?”

“Jon doesn’t do sex often, yet those two were comfortable with each other without problems, and it was before Jon and I actually had sex. So I wondered if perhaps it was a matter of him preferring women. It wasn’t, but that’s where my mind went. It’s hard to understand his lack of interest sometimes,” his soul explains while they are walking.

That gives him something to think about. Not that he actually likes thinking about those early years. It reminds him of how much of a failure he is. After all, it’s his fault Jon was with Alec alone back then.

“Is there a dress code for dinner?” he asks, deciding to change the subject because he doesn’t want to look at what he finds so frustrating.

“Not really, Jon will probably wear his tartan jumper, he does that pretty close to every time that we visit with that group.” Alec responds with shrug, “I tend to dress as I did as Janus, just because it makes a good shield when dealing with them. Also reminds them I am Janus, even if I’ve changed it from a crime syndicate to a mercenary company.”

He nods, deciding to see what sort of suit his soul wears before selecting which of the three suits he brought with him to wear. Probably the dark blue one with the white shirt. Jon seems to appreciate seeing him in that. Wait. Would it be better to wear it tomorrow at the wedding instead? Fuck, why didn’t he bring two blue suits? His other two are black and gray. Which would be better for this? The black, black goes with everything. Except he could wear the black tomorrow since Jon’s going to be in a suit too. Damn it.

He can deal with this. Blue suit tonight because even if Jon doesn’t ever do anything with him, doesn’t mean he can’t enjoy the hacker’s appreciative gaze. Treat this like a mission, one of those weird ones where he gets to be charming and polite without using sex to get what he wants. They’re rare, but he’s still good at them.

Now then, time to reacquaint himself with this house. He’s pretty sure that Alec has a room upstairs where he can shove his suits. Maybe he should see about keeping something here as they visit here every few months if only for a day or two, rather than bring things with him every time.

Actually, he should see if any of the suits in Alec’s closet would fit him. After all, nowadays they are close to the same size. That could work. Then he could wear the blue suit tonight and snag something if needed from here.

Good, he’s got a plan, now to do it. 


	3. Dinner

James’ POV

He ends up borrowing one of Alec’s shirts because he realizes he only brought one, even though he brought three suits. What the hell was he thinking?  Thank fuck they are so close in size. So his shirt is a light blue which he’s sure contrasts nicely with the dark blue of the suit.

Jon does the driving, which never ceases to surprise him because of how rarely the hacker wants to drive from his personal experience.

A little bit later they pull up to a decent sized house, some might even call it a small mansion, and park in the driveway.

He watches as Jon slips from the car, rolling his shoulders and stretching, hands absently checking to make sure all blades are in their proper place. That was another surprising discovery. The hacker always has a pair of throwing knives on his person no matter where he is going, with special transmitters in the sheaths to keep them from setting off metal detectors.

“Shall we?” the hacker queries with an almost easy smile that feels off, it doesn’t reach his eyes.

He nods, straightening his suit out of habit.

Alec’s lips curl into something between a smile and a smirk as he nods.

The three of them walk up to the house, and Jon doesn’t even get to knock before the door is thrown open and a blonde woman is hugging the hacker.

“Isha!” She happily exclaims, giving his soulmate a second hug. “I’m so happy you made it!”

“Hello Ekatrina,” Jon replies, patting her shoulder almost hesitantly.

She lets go and steps back, her bright eyes flickering past the hacker and over them. “Aleksei, it’s good to see you’re still doing well.”

“Ekatrina,” Alec replies with a slight nod.

“You must be the other one, hello, welcome to the family!” the next thing he knows, she’s giving him a hug.

He has no clue what to do with his hands. He can’t remember when the last time someone besides Alec or Jon hugged him.

“Ekatrina, my second soulmate James,” his younger soulmate states as she steps back.

She beams at them, then waves them towards the door, “Come in, come in.”

Jon’s the first one through the door, closely followed by Ekatrina when Alec takes hold of the door.

“After you,” his soul tells him with a nod towards the inside.

He takes a deep breath, and steps inside.

Almost instantly he feels surrounded. This isn’t the organized chaos he is used to in MI6 or even many of the social events he attended. There are people everywhere it seems. Some are moving room to room. Others are stationary. At first count there is at least thirty people. Although he is pretty sure there is a lot more than that.

Why did he pick a wedding to stop his avoidance of Jon’s family?

“Shoes off then feel free to mingle,” Ekatrina tells them warmly before being called away.

“Isha!” A young woman who bears a striking resemblance to Jon exclaims as she seems to just appear, hugging both of his soulmates with a wide grin on her face. One arm wrapping around their waists.  “Alya! You’re both here!”

Chuckling, Jon gives her a one armed hug in response, “Hullo Elya.”

“You’ve gotten almost as tall as your brother,” Alec observes with an amused smile.

“Or you got shorter,” she suggests with a mischievous light in her gray-green eyes. “You must be James,” she remarks as her attention turns towards him, a moment later he’s getting an one-armed hug as well as she let's go of Jon. “I’m happy to see you could make it. If at anytime the family seems to be a bit much, the second bedroom at the top of the steps is open for retreating to.”

Internally he bristles at the implication, but externally he replies calmly with, “Thank you.”

She laughs merrily, head tipping to the side, “You’re like Alya. This ought to be interesting.”

“Come on Isha, time to meet the new family members, these two will be fine.” Elya declares, grabbing Jon’s hand and tugging him after her.

“That’s Elena, Jon’s youngest sister.” Alec informs him as the two get absorbed into the mess of people. “I’ll bet the grandmothers, one of which was a sniper, are in the family room.”

He nods, doing the after you hand motion.

The two of them make their way to one of the front rooms, a well furnished space with a lot of sitting places. If the quantity of people is any indicator, it’s needed.

There is five older people sitting together, three women sitting together with a man on either side of them.

“Calm down,” the woman in the center of the group declares firmly but quietly and it’s like a switch is hit. Every single person within hearing range gets suddenly much quieter. It reminds him of M. “Aleksei,” she inclines her head politely towards his soul.

“Grandmother Pelya,” Alec replies with polite smile and serious voice. “James, this is Kliment, Mila, Grandmother Pelya, Apa Mei, and Ilya.” Amusement laces his soulmate’s voice as he comments, “You’ll be meeting several Ilya’s this weekend.”

“True enough, the young man Eva is marrying is also Ilya,” the man identified as Ilya remarks with amusement.

Mila smiles tiredly but it doesn’t reach her sad eyes, “James, it’s so good to finally meet you,” she tells him gently, “It is nice to get a chance to meet my oldest grandson’s second soulmate, I just wish Boris would have had a chance.”

“Pull up a seat and sit down, there’s plenty of time to meet everyone around here,” Ilya suggests, waving a hand towards some of the arm chairs and a small sofa. “Furniture gets shifted around often as family gatherings occur.”

Alec is already in the process of moving one of the smaller sofas into place. There is room for three on it. At least there is if the third is Jon.

Several long minutes are spent visiting with them, he’s quiet through most of it, listening and watching instead. He’s thankful for the fact his soul positioned the sofa so there will not be anyone approaching from behind. As much as he hates to admit it, his nerves are a bit frayed by all the people, scents, and noises.

He does join the discussion with Grandmother Pelya when the topic turns to various guns over the years. He’s almost surprised by the fact she knows so much but he remembers both his soulmates mentioning her in the past.

Occasionally the other four pipe in but they mostly speak among themselves. Although, Mila doesn’t say too much. Mostly she just leans into her soulmate’s side.

“Ässalamu läykum, Apa Mei,” Jon comments as he joins them, perching on the armrest of the sofa.

The Asian woman smiles at him warmly, “Wä'äläykum ässalam, Jon. Yakshimasiz?”

The hacker replies and the two of them spend several minutes chatting.

Ilya smiles fondly at the pair, before returning his attention to the conversation that they were having prior to that.

“Isha, what’s the word for ta pyromachiká?” A rather tall man with a round stomach queries.

After finishing the sentence he was on, Jon answers in both English and Russian, “Firefly,” before continuing with his conversation with the older woman.

“Dinners ready,” Ekatrina announces to the room at large.

Rising, Jon offers Grandmother Pelya a hand without a word, assistance but only if she wishes, rather than if he feels she needs it. It’s the same sort of assistances he often offers them. Quiet and accepting, understanding in ways that make no sense to him. It makes him uneasy though he would be hard pressed to put words to it.

He stays close to Alec as they move to the actual dining room where the table has been set up as a massive buffet. There is a smaller table with silverware and dishes, and a second one with drinks, but the main table is covered in a wide variety of food. There seems to be a wide variety of dishes. He recognizes foods from all across the world.

This is a pot luck, he realizes. Had he know he could have made something for it. Why hadn’t Jon said anything about it? Doubt creeps in, making him wonder if the hacker actually wanted him to come or not. He would have gladly made something, just to show he’s sincere, even if he can’t seem to find the right words.

Actually, with Jon he never seems to find the right words. He makes a mess of things regularly. He’s been trying to listen to the advice that actions speak louder than words, but it’s not as successful as he wants. The hacker’s wary of him and often doesn’t seem to trust him.

Years of training are the only reason he doesn’t flinch when Alec’s hand suddenly rests on the back of his neck. “Relax, Jon and I were told not to bring something years ago as neither of us cooks, Valentin is under the same direction,” his lover informs him. “These are supposed to be family and not cook made things. I’m certain had Jon thought of it, he would have told you. We’ve spent twelve years not bringing food, this is your first time here.”

He slowly nods as he understands exactly what his love is telling him. They’ve never brought food to one of these. He also gets the other point not actually being said, that he’s never come before to a family event, so it’s not unexpected that Jon didn’t want to ask him for something when he’s been so hesitant to be involved.

He can’t think about that right now. He decides, switching into agent mode. He needs to focus on the goal. Not his shortcomings. Today’s goal: charm the family members so Jon doesn’t regret inviting him. Tomorrow’s goals: continue to charm the family, try to convince Jon he is happy to be spending time with them. Then he will reassess his overall goal of trying to make sure the hacker knows he isn’t just a mark as a way to keep Alec. The goal he seems to be failing with the most.

He’s mostly on autopilot as he selects what he wants to eat and returns to his spot in the living room only to discover that it has been rearranged again so everyone can fit. Which considering how many people are here, it makes it a bit full.

Amazingly, there seems to be an opening around his soulmates. The people who sit the closest to them are the family grandparents. Those who are older and they seem to be on friendly terms with. That and a light haired man he’s seen at least once before tonight though it takes a moment to realize it was at the massive compound they have visited on a few occasions.

“Thank you everyone for coming both to the reunion, introductions, and wedding,” Eva, the bride tells them as she meets each person’s eyes. “I’m really happy you were able to join us.”

There is a round of cheers and applause, well wishes and joy before everyone starts eating.

“Sparks will be there tomorrow,” the light haired man murmurs in Ukrainian as he glances at Jon.

“I’m aware, it’s rare for me not to hear things on the Network,” his younger soulmate replies, “Congratulations and welcome to the family Ilya.”

“Thanks Isha,” Ilya states with a quick smile before turning to his to-be wives.

Jon just smiles indulgently.

Most of dinner is quiet or as quiet as a room full of people can be. He gets up to get seconds when the hacker does, though he almost feels like he shouldn’t since he hadn’t contributed to what’s laid out. He wouldn’t feel like that on a mission, so why does he feel like that right now?

He loses track of time, sticking close to his soulmates. He’s happy no one tries talking to him, because he can’t seem to bring himself to treat this like a job even though it would be best.

“Time to go,” Jon tells him, hand pressing lightly against the center of his back.

That startles him. Normally it’s Alec who touches him. The hacker doesn’t like touching him. He can count exactly how many times in the last two years the younger man has touched him. Sadly he can’t count how many times Jon has looked like he was going to touch him, just to draw back. He’ll never admit exactly how much that hurts. Particularly when he sees the easy way his soulmates are with each other.

He bloody well feels like he’s fucked up again. He’s just not sure how. 


	4. Nighttime

James’ POV

He spends some time in the small gym when they get back to the house, mostly as a way to get away from the other two for the moment. It’s not that he doesn’t want to be with them. It’s just he feels like he can’t get anything right.

Why did he come again? He knew there was a reason he was avoiding these sort of things. How in the hell does he expect things to go smoothly here when they can’t even manage smoothly at home?

Home.

Alec’s his home. Alec’s home is with Jon. Therefore Jon should be more home-like for him. Yet he seems to always misstep, say or do the wrong thing, he just fail miserably.

“Come to bed James,” his soul requests, drawing him from his mind and the self hate he’s filled with.

He stops beating the punching bag, head dropping as his shoulders curve in. He should respond.

A warm hand brushes against his shirt, firm arms wrapping around him and pulling him back against a broad chest. A feather light kiss is pressed to the base of his neck as Alec repeats himself softly, “Come to bed James.”

“Fine,” he agrees, wondering if Jon will be joining them.

They head to the downstairs bedroom, but their third is nowhere in sight.

“Where’s Jon?” he asks curiously, wondering if he’s pissed the hacker off again and that’s why the younger man isn’t with them.

“Checking in with Aither and Six,” his love replies with a fond smile.

He nods, feeling relieved because at least he isn’t avoiding them. He’s aware that Jon informed Mallory he was taking the time off and that his mildly sociopathic sister would deal with things while they were gone if something came up. He’s well aware that that bothers the fuck out of Mallory, but the new M doesn’t fight it because the death and injury rates have drastically gone down since the hacker took over. Possibly because the hacker has a network outside of Six that he has no issues using.

A smile ghosts across his face as Alec’s hands set to buttoning his shirt. It’s only proper that he return the favor, he decides as he starts on his soul’s shirt at the bottom so their hands aren’t bumping together.

Once their shirts are unbuttoned, they shrug them off. Alec’s hits the floor, while he tosses his on the desk’s chair.

Calloused fingers skim over his skin, a firm caress that has him pressing into the contact.

He cups Alec’s face, his thumbs lightly caressing it as he tugs his soulmate closer, kissing his soul.

Several long minutes are spent pressed together from hip to shoulder, kissing each other senseless, hands caressing each other’s bodies with increasing need.

Suddenly he feels as if all the stress of the day is draining away, though he would be hard pressed to say why. With that feeling, he is finds himself exhausted and as much as he wants to do something more, his body has decided it’s not going to work with him.

“Time for some sleep, my Storm,” Alec murmurs as he sways in place.

“I don’t want to,” he mutters against his love’s shoulder.

Chuckling, his soulmate nuzzles his jaw and up along to his ear gently, “You sound like Jon. Sleep is not the enemy.”

The next thing he is actually aware of is being curled up on the bed with Alec wrapped around him and Jon crawling into bed on the other side, even though it’s not his favored side to sleep on. He’s startled by the slender fingers that gently brush his shoulder blade, making him think of vague memories of touch in the past. Before he has a chance to say anything, he’s falling back to sleep.

oOoOoOo

Jon’s POV

He’s in the process of checking in with Ally, and going through his system to make sure that every is secure. He hasn’t mentioned it to Mallory, or even those who work for them, but he has connected Five and Six to his personal system run by Vic. He can access all of it with ease, and he can keep close to everyone out. There are very few hackers in the world who can get past his past system.

His earwig clicks on, his first soulmate’s voice coming across the line.

‘ _Come to bed love, the system would have notified you of any problems since I know you’ve had your earpiece in all day._ ’ Alec suggests, amusement lacing Sansha’s voice.

“You know me,” he replies with a smile that he knows his spy can’t see, “I like to be sure.”

‘ _I know, but you haven’t slept since yesterday since you never sleep on planes._ ’ Sansha’s voice is low, making him suspect that James is already sleeping, or on the edge of sleeping. ‘ _Besides, I’m not the only one who can deal with him being touch starved._ ’

He closes his eyes for a moment, “Maybe, but he doesn’t flinch away from you or get so tense he looks like he’s about to break into pieces when you touch him.”

A sigh is the only reaction that he gets.

“I’m almost done,” he remarks as he opens his eyes and glances at his computer screen. Why are things so much harder with James than they ever were with Alec? At least it feels that way. Of course teenage him had no issues getting in his soulmate’s face if it would help.

‘ _Good._ ’ Sansha tells him.

He spends several more minutes going through and checking everything before closing the system down for the night and heading to the bedroom. He chuckles softly when he notices the pile of clothes on the floor, and the shirts on his chair. Alec must have been the one doing the majority of undressing as he has a habit of just dropping stuff and dealing with it after sleeping. Where James is more likely to put things up neatly.

Stripping down to his lowest layer, he quietly joins his soulmates in bed. One arm folds under his pillow. The other over his soulmates, lightly touching both just to reassure himself that they’re still there.

It’s the one time he knows James won’t flinch or react negatively to touch. Though there are times he feels bad for bypassing consent by doing so. Still, it’s such a minor thing, lightly touching James’ shoulder and neck so he can feel his second soulmate’s heartbeat and knows he’s made sure neither has died for another day.

oOoOoOo

Alec’s POV

While things have improved a lot between James and Jon, there is still a lot of issues, mostly around the topic of touch and sex. He can’t complain too much, it was a problem they had early on. The difference being he was concerned about not being able to perform while James is worried about not being wanted.

Hopefully they can get things worked out this weekend.

He saw the way Apa Mei had been watching his soulmates. The thin line of her lips and the calculating gleam in her dark eyes. Knowing her, there will be a lecture for one or both of them in the near future. Possibly all three of them, depending on how much she feels like lecturing.

Maybe it’s needed. Aither confronting them had helped, because it forced them to realize what was going on with Jon, who was trying to downplay  how he was feeling. It was the closest to lying his Rowan has ever come.

Vansha has tried reaching out on several occasions, but the instance his Storm flinches or goes tense, his Rowan withdraws. It’s a large part of why Jon urges him to touch James. His younger soulmate recognizes the fact their soulmate is as touch starved as he was when he first woke up.

What is he going to do?

He’s just about asleep, wrapped securely around James, when Vansha slips into the room, undresses, and joins them. Soft lips press against the nape of his neck, one arm is thrown across him, brushing against his Storm’s neck, an action he is familiar with from all the times his Rowan checked his pulse before drifting off to sleep,

Smiling, he drifts off to sleep himself. There will be plenty to deal with in the morning.


	5. Wedding

Sparks’ POV

Eva has been his friend since he first moved back to Russia.

Back then she was barely more than a kid, but she had the same sort of stubbornness that he had grown used to from Jon and Aither. Determination that probably wasn’t a good thing, but didn’t come anywhere close to stopping her.

It was nice, familiar even. Their relationship was completely platonic, for which she was thankful for. On one of the rare occasions they had gotten drunk together, she had confessed to being confused by the fact he never pushed for anything more. That’s not something she is used to out of a lot of guys. She likes it though, knowing that she can be kind, affectionate, and nothing will come out of it beyond their friendship. That he doesn’t push.

He had laughed as he told her that comes from the siblings. A statement that confused her further. So he had explained that the networks call Jon and Aither the siblings, because of their disposition and looks, very few realized they weren’t actually brother and sister.

That had cleared a lot of things up for her, and left her laughing almost hysterically.

She was twenty when she decided to go to London to complete a bachelor's degree in medicine. They kept in touch the entire time she was gone through emails and chats. The system that had been set up so he could keep in touch with hackers was now used to keep in touch with his friend as well. She had selected to stay in the dorms, rather than with her brother and his soulmate.

He can still remember the excited call he got in the middle of the night when she realized her partner in her art class was actually one of her soulmates. She had practically babbled at him for hours before realizing it was the middle of the night and apologizing. He hadn’t minded and had been touched that she picked him to tell over her parents or siblings.

Of course he sent her a gift, although a much cleaner one than the one he had sent Jon upon meeting Alec.

That got him another call. This time with the soulmate, a lovely woman named Kathleen from the States.

Apparently her soulmate hadn’t realized he was a massive blonde Russian who had spent several years living in the States. That had led to some pretty interesting conversations, and he ends up as friends with Kathleen as well.

The two women had moved to Russia, Eva had returned home, Kat had been new to the area. Both had started working with Valentin, starting to build their own practice. Although he had offered her a position if she wanted, she declined, citing she didn’t want to mix their friendship with a professional life. He could respect that.

It was during one of their lunches that Eva had met Ilya, and he had seen the spark between them the moment that his guard smiled at her. It wasn’t surprising to discover that they were soulmates. Although Ilya had been nervous about telling him, worried about his position or some such thing.

When the triad had announced they were getting married that hadn’t come as a shock. He was startled when Eva asked him to come as her big brother rather than just a friend, and touched as well. Of course he agreed.

So now he is leaning against the wall in the chapel, watching as people come in. There is a few discreet guards floating around, though they are all friends of Ilya, so the chances are pretty high most people won’t actually realize that’s what they are. Of course, knowing Jon and his tendency to make things secure, this place has surveillance going on that is out of sight. He’s got his rarely used earpiece in just in case.

Ilya has no family, at least none that Jon and Aither could find, which means the chances are pretty slim there is any since those two have an uncanny ability to find people. Even people living in areas where it shouldn’t be possible to find them.

Kat’s family on the other hand, is rather huge, far bigger than Eva’s. Which is saying something since his friend has a lot of living relatives. He is mildly surprised at how many of the grandparents are still around, but not enough to find it peculiar. After all, her family didn’t have a  life of crime and most were relatively healthy.

She seems to be close to a lot of the ones that her age according to the way they greet her, warm and affectionate, quick hugs and kisses to the cheek.

However that’s not what really draws his attention, even if he is friends with Eva and almost friends with her soulmates. What draws his focus is Jon and James. Namely the fact he has seen several times where Isha has started to reach for the spy only to pull back. The fact that James steals glances at his soulmate as if he notices the almost touches but doesn’t know how to encourage or even if he wants to. What a mess.

This must be the problem that Aither was talking about the last time she ranted about James and wanting to stab him.

He’s got a pretty good idea why both are acting that way, but he isn’t going to say something yet. First he needs to gather more information. That’s one of those things he picked up from the siblings over the years and is probably one of the most helpful bits of advice.

So he keeps an eye on them, even as he watches everything else.

Since Katya comes from a diverse background compared to her soulmates’ many of the current traditions are based on hers. As a lot of those customs are supposed to include the groom’s family, he has played the part for the younger man, much to Ilya’s surprise. Jon had said he would have done it, like the hacker is for him with his to be brides, but Jon is Eva’s brother and thus unavailable.

He should probably pay closer attention to the wedding proper, but his focus is drawn repeatedly to his long time friend and second soulmate. No wonder Aither wants to stab James again. She’s picking up on the unease between them. Considering Jon’s normally at ease in his skin no matter what the situation, that’s worrisome. Or more importantly to her, the fact that Jon’s upset, not just for the small issues but on bigger ones.

Forcing his attention back wedding, he considers what can be done to fix the problem. For the moment however he’s going to focus on his friends.


	6. Reception

James’ POV

It’s easier to fall into agent mode while at the actual wedding. There are way more people here than he’s comfortable with on a personal level. Jon quietly fills them in on nearly every single one of them through the earwigs all three of them are wearing.

When the wedding proper is done, and it is time to do the tour on the way to the reception, he finds himself being pulled aside by Sparks. Large fingers tapping on both his ears to make sure the earwigs are off.

It sets his nerves on edge.

“You’ve got an issue,” the giant informs him softly, “One I recognize ‘cause I’ve been there.”

“What’s that?” he queries, biting back the anger he’s currently feeling.

“You and Jon,” Sparks replies frankly. “You’re both uncomfortable. And I’m pretty sure I know why. I know you’ve told him in the past not to touch you. So he doesn’t. He stops himself every time he wants to touch you because it’s not welcome. That in turn is making you edgy, which is just making it worse. I’m gonna bet that you don’t understand the concept of casual non-sexual contact. At least not in the terms that he is used to. He connects with people through touch, even if he rarely touches people, so it hurts every time he wants to touch his soulmate only to know he can’t.”

“He doesn’t want me,” he snaps angrily, not wanting to hear this is another thing he’s doing wrong. He already knows that for fucks sake.

“From where I’m standing, it looks more like you don’t want him.” The giant retorts calmly. “I don’t mean sexually. I mean as Jon, the hacker who can only cook breakfast foods, is fiercely protective, and just likes to curl up and sleep with someone without wanting sex.”

He bristles, momentarily considering bringing the bigger man to his knees and reminding himself that he’s currently at a wedding where Sparks is more welcome than he is. Better not do that. It’d just cause more problems.

Sighing, the giant rubs his neck as he continues. “Listen, it’s not hard to get, sex is a tool as far as you care, to Jon it’s nothing, literally nothing, so the one thing you think works for you, has no effect on him.”

He nods slowly in agreement even as he keeps listening.

“Do little things. He drinks tea. Loves finger foods when he’s working. Enjoys those fleeting sort of touches that other people neither notice nor appreciate a lot, but show that you’re acknowledging he’s there. You have to have seen the fact those two touch each other a lot, hand brushing against skin, through hair, or just past the other while in motion?”

He nods again, those little touches have made him jealous. Why doesn’t Jon touch him like that? It’s another sign that his younger soulmate doesn’t want him.

“I’d bet he’s leaned into contact any time you’ve touched him. He looks forward to those touches cause you don’t like him touching you. That’s the way it comes across. I’d also bet that you’ve woken up on several occasions with them and Jon’s touching both you and Aleksei,” Sparks comments with way too much understanding in his rough voice. “You wanna connect with him the way Aleksei  does? It’s small things. Not sex, but hugs, cuddling, accepting the fact he’s not interested in sex. Hell, I know during the early years Aleksei had a difficult time getting it. That first visit was rather rough at times, at least to me, cause I could see the bloody jealousy Aleksei felt towards Aither. The two hackers horseplay and cuddle without any regards to the fact they aren’t related. Hell. if I am not mistaken Aleksei was convinced Jon wanted her for the first day. ‘Till they figured shit out.”

He freezes, studying the big man for sincerity.

Alec went through the same problem? He vaguely remembers that being mentioned once. How did he forget? What else has he forgot that he needs to remember?

“Start small, tea’s a good spot, or something small to snack on, or just a light brush against him. Build up, build trust, real trust,” the tall man holds a hand up as if to say not yet when he goes to interrupt. “I don’t mean the type of trust an agent has for his handler.”

Nodding, the giant is gone before he has a chance to reply. That’s alright, he needs to think about what he wants to do. He’s distracted when he rejoins his soulmates, watching the easy way Jon avoids touching most of the people here without the majority of them realizing he’s doing so on purpose.

The tour of the city is almost dull, but as it happens to be part of the custom, he goes along for the ride. Jon surprises him as he tells them his favorite places along the way. Alec seems to know most of them, but they are all new for him. He normally avoids the trips to Russia, they make him uncomfortable. As a side effect there is a large section of his soulmates’ lives he’s not fully aware of. Mostly because Jon is better at hiding information than any of the spies he’s known over the years, though where the hacker got that particularly talent from he doesn’t really understand.

By the time they finally reach the reception, he feels like he knows more now than he has managed to learn since Jon and Alec entered his life in person.

The reception is a combination of different cultures and beliefs. He can see the little touches of each all around. Jon’s pulled away by one of the cousins requesting he plays translator.

Rather than stand still, he decides to lurk and mingle with the best of them when he manages to get separated from Alec as well. He doesn’t really like that fact but feels like it is out of his control.

“Come dance with me,” Eva declares as she comes marching towards him.

Well shit, why does the bride he just met yesterday want to dance?

“Of course,” he agrees, turning on the charm as if she’s a mark.

Thankfully, it’s not uncommon to see dyads and triads dancing together at weddings.

“Thank you for taking the time off to come,” she tells him with a wide smile. “Isha’s been looking forward to sharing this aspect of his life with you for the last year, but you have been busy with work. He’s a workaholic, so it makes sense that his soulmates are as well.”

He nods, choosing not to reply. He’s found smiling and looking interested is a extremely effective method to gathering info.

Mischief enters her eyes as she remarks, “Considering Isha and Aleksei’s career paths, I would guess you are in a similar field.”

“What makes you say that?” he queries as the song changes and she doesn’t let go.

“I’ve heard that tone before, from Aleksei, Dayesi, and Aither. Not to mention Isha’s minions, a wide variety of which come from colorful backgrounds themselves,” she answers with a grin. “Did you know Isha loves dancing? Aleksei will dance with him, just because Isha loves it, but Isha will politely decline because Aleksei doesn’t like to dance.”

That’s an interesting tidbit.

“So, go ask him to dance,” she orders him grabbing his shoulders and spinning him around, slender hands shoving hard at his shoulders.

Spotting his soulmates together talking with a group of others, well, actually, it appears that Alec is hovering and Jon is talking, he heads towards them. He like dancing. It will be no hardship to ask his younger soulmate to dance.

As he gets closer, he realizes that one of the cousins is insisting that there is no way Jon could know so many languages.

One dark brow arches in challenge, and he recognizes the ‘you are an idiot and here’s why’ tone. “I have an ear for languages, just because you never managed to get past three, and struggled with those as it is, doesn’t mean other people have the same disadvantage. The languages I don’t know in this room will be acquired.”

He touches the hacker’s lower back, drawing Jon’s attention though he has a feeling the younger man was already aware he is there. “Come dance with me,” he suggests, forcing himself not to withdraw his hand.

A small smile plays at the edge of Alec’s lips when he glances over to his first soulmate.

Jon tips his head, studying him for a moment before nodding slowly, “Until later,” the younger man tells the collective.

His soul vanishes back into the crowd, though he spots his fellow spy joining the grandparents he met the previous evening.

“You didn’t have to ask,” Jon tells him as they find a spot to dance in, the younger man’s entire posture screaming that he’s nervous and hopeful and wary.

“I wanted to,” he replies in Scottish Gaelic, lips curling up in the hints of a real smile.

That startles the hacker who studies him with narrow amber eyes. A smile slowly curls supple lips. It’s the sort of smile he has seen directed at Alec far more often than he has seen it directed at him. He can count on one hand how many times that smile has been directed at him. This was definitely the right choice.

They don’t talk while dancing, instead he keeps a careful eye on his younger soulmate, enthralled with the pleasure and happiness in shimmering hazel-gray-blue eyes.

So Sparks was right, he thinks, then I best listen to the rest of the giant’s advice. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once more, a great deal of thanks to [dontneedaclassroom](http://dontneedaclassroom.tumblr.com/post/166256688733/art-for-jaimistorytellers-triad-verse-big-bang) for the art for this story.
> 
> Thank you folks for reading, follow the verse/series for updates as new stories are added. All comments are greatly appreciated and cherished, kudos are wonderful as well.


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